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Trammell not viewing fill-in as audition

Trammell not viewing fill-in as audition

DENVER -- Alan Trammell is subbing for Lou Piniella as Cubs manager for three games but didn't consider this a tryout for next season.

Piniella returned to Tampa, Fla., on Saturday to attend the funeral of his uncle, Joseph Magadan, who passed away Thursday. Piniella will rejoin the Cubs on Tuesday in Chicago.

Trammell, 52, is the bench coach and has managed before. He was the Detroit Tigers skipper from 2003-05. He's just filling in, he said.

"I don't look at it that way," he said about this being an audition. "I'm the acting manager and certainly this will be the team effort. It's not something that I will do, it's not my style about campaigning.

"I've managed before, so for these three games, obviously, we want to win. That will never change whether I was the manager, the coach, whatever. I'd like for us to go out after [Friday's] game -- the eighth inning was something we've never seen and I've been around baseball for a long time."

The Rockies scored 12 runs, pounding 11 straight hits, off the Cubs in the eighth in route to a 17-2 victory.

The bullpen was roughed up in the game, and Trammell said he expected to call on Carlos Zambrano on Saturday. Zambrano rejoined the team Friday after being activated from the restricted list. He has made four Minor League appearances out of the bullpen.

But Trammell said he would like rookies such as Andrew Cashner and Brian Schlitter to get into a game quickly. Cashner gave up six runs and failed to retire a batter in the eighth Friday.

"At some point, whether it's tonight or tomorrow, we'll need those guys," Trammell said of the two right-handers. "They have to be tough-minded with thick skin."